Permitting, Inspections Now Required For New Private Drinking Water Wells

Permitting and inspection of new private drinking water wells and testing of water quality of certain private drinking water wells are now required in North Carolina as the result of legislation passed in the 2005 Session of the General Assembly.

The legislation authorizes the Environmental Management Commission and local county health departments to administer the new requirements affecting new private drinking water wells with a capacity of 100,000 gallons per day or greater.

Permits will be required for the construction of any new private drinking water well and for repairs of any private drinking water well, excluding repair or replacement of a pump or tank or any other work not involving the breaking or opening of well seal. Permits are generally valid for five years, but may be revoked if the local health department determines that there has been a material change in the facts or circumstances upon which the permit was based.

Local health departments are to maintain registries of wells for which construction or repair permits were required.

A certificate of completion must be obtained for any well newly constructed or existing well which has undergone repairs, before the well can be put in service. New wells will require testing of the water.